The present invention relates generally to bicycles and, more particularly, to a quick release assembly for securing a wheel to a bicycle such that the wheel can be removed and connected to a bicycle without the use of tools or the like.
Traditionally, the wheels of a bicycle are secured to the frame via an axle or skewer rod that passes through a hub of the wheel and cooperates with corresponding structure of the frame. Occasionally, the wheel assemblies require servicing such as the changing of a tire or the like. It is readily appreciated that replacing a bicycle tire requires disengaging at least one side of the wheel assembly from the adjacent frame of the bicycle. Commonly, do in part to the awkwardness of manipulating a bicycle by a wheel, it is often more convenient to remove the wheel assembly entirely from the bicycle to perform such servicing. It is also readily appreciated that such service or repair activities are often presented at the most inopportune times and places. That is, when ride performance is being monitored or inclement weather arises, the need for quick wheel repair can affect performance and/or ride enjoyment.
Others, having recognized the desire to quickly and efficiently remove, repair, and reinstall a bicycle wheel, have provided a litany of wheel retention systems intended to simplify the process of removing and reinstalling a bicycle wheel. An early solution to this problem was the introduction of slotted fork dropouts. The slotted dropouts cooperate with an axle or skewer rod of the wheel assembly such that, with slight loosening of a retention system, the wheel assembly could be removed from the bicycle without fully separating the respective components of the wheel assembly. Although such systems enhanced the ease with which the wheel assembly could be removed from the bicycle, such systems also commonly required access to various tools to effectuate operation of the retention system.
To overcome the necessity of always having tools at the ready for operating the release system, others have provided tool-less retention systems. Such systems commonly include a lever that extends from a head member of the release system and which is operable to loosen the retention system. However, it was recognized that improper installation or closure of the lever of such release systems could result in the unintentional loosening of the retention mechanism due to road vibration and/or inadvertent contact with the non-fully closed lever could result in undesired separation of the wheel assembly from the bicycle. Understandably, such an event would be particularly problematic during use of the bicycle.
To ensure that a wheel assembly could not be removed from a bicycle without user interaction with the retention system, many prior art devices include a redundant retention system. The redundant retention system maintains some form of interaction of the wheel assembly and the bicycle independent of the position of the primary retention means. That is, even though the individual components of the primary retention system are in a position wherein the wheel assembly should otherwise disengage from the bicycle frame, the redundant retention system requires separate operation. Typically, such bicycle wheel quick release systems require concurrent manipulation and orientation of a number of individual parts of the release mechanism, the wheel assembly, and the redundant retention mechanism to effectuate removal of the wheel assembly from the bicycle. Accordingly, such quick release systems commonly require two hands to facilitate removing and reinstalling the wheel assembly.
Commonly, the rider must concurrently interact with both the left-hand and the right-hand sides of the wheel assembly. The concurrent inaction of the user with both sides of the wheel assembly generally demands that the user must be radially aligned with the wheel assembly such that an arm generally flanks each side of the wheel assembly. Such a requirement substantially limits the orientations that are available for the rider to effectuate a wheel servicing procedure. Such a requirement can also test the dexterity and flexibility of many riders.
Therefore, there is a need for a bicycle wheel quick release assembly that includes a redundant retention feature and which can be operated by a single hand of an operator to effectuate removal of the wheel assembly.